The L’Honey Program
Is a collaborative venture between St. Leo Parish and L’Arche Farm promoting sustainable beekeeping. We operate four small apiary sites and produce our own hive products. Beekeeping during the honeybee season (June through September).
Beehive Product Making: Work with beekeepers, volunteers, and youth.
- NOTE: The L’Honey Beekeeper is willing to work with educators and student groups in the promotion of sustainable beekeeping and caring for our environment.
Contact Us
Products
Honey - $8.50
12 oz glass hex jar
all prices are a suggested donation
St. Leo Youth Garden Produces
St. Leo Youth Garden Produces
Our Youth Garden at Bix Hall has only existed for a few months, yet it brings a bounty of veggies! We have planted: peas, lettuce, green beans, yellow beans, beets, peppers, carrots, summer squash, cucumbers, and strawberries!!! We are also growing herbs and sunflowers in the youth garden plaza.
On this little spot of ground, located in a forgotten corner that was once a place to store forgotten stuff – life now abounds.
Our little garden symbolizes what we can do to restore our planet and the communities around us! The Kid’s Garden is the Gospel Good News in action. With Faith, Hope & Love, we can make the world a better place for all God’s Creatures!!!
We will begin our One Green World Club starting June 25th. We will gather to plant, harvest and learn other ways to care for and nurture our planet.
If you are interested, please get in touch with our Pastoral Assistant of Faith Formation or Social Justice.
Adriana Julian : Faithformaiton@stleoparish.org
Rick Samyn: socialministry@stleoparish.org
As we embrace the graces and challenges ahead, let us be like little gardens that bring forth life where- ever we are planted. Let the Easter Joy of the Risen Christ be in our hearts, thoughts, and labors.
L’Honey: Facing a New Year with the Bees in 2023
As we enter into the New Year of 2023 we will continue to expand our work with youth and school groups using our relationship with the honeybees to motivate us all to better Care for Creation.
We will work to rebuild our apiaries and recover from the losses of 2022.
We will continue to find ways of collaboration and champion Eco-Education with Franklin Pierce School District Farm, Bellarmine Preparatory & Pope John Paul the 2nd STEM Academy. Also, we will continue to find ways to bring to focus the need to Care for Creation with our own parish youth programs.
Our work with the honeybee and youth is our expression of the Apostolic Preference the Society of Jesus to care for Creation here in the Pacific Northwest. By our efforts and the grace of God, we can make a difference in the world. We can foster a new mindset that makes seeing our God Given relationship with Creation as one of interdependence, mutual benefit and love.
2022 had been a hard year for our honeybees. The very wet, cool and cloudy spring mad it difficult for honeybee colonies to grow as they were unable to capture the needed nectar and pollen to feed their young. There were too many cloudy and rainy days and they were not able to leave the hive to forage for food. This left the colonies less prepared to capture the nectar flow and to turn it into honey for the coming winter days ahead. As a beekeeper I had to supplemental feed the bees from the end of August to the middle of October. The Fall of 2022 was the most I had ever had to feed honeybees in my 20 years of beekeeping. Climate Change had brought and unpredictable spring and a very dry and hot summer to our bees.
On top of the difficulties with weather patterns, the continued problem of controlling the Varroa Mite parasite that injures bees continues to be a vexing and difficulty pest to control.
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If you have any ideas on how we can do more to help the Planet with our beekeeping program, please let me know!
Moreover, I am happy to meet with any school or community group interested in honeybee or want to be more involved with the Care.
The steps to a healthy planet that has sustains diversity and life!
- Engage in sustained and productive work to preserve and/or heal your local ecosystems and the life it contains.
- Create that relationship with the natural world and fall in love with Mother Nature -REAL, NOT VIRTUAL
- Support and vote for ONLY candidates that will place caring for Creation and promoting renewable energy at TOP Priority
- Consume less and live simply
- As much as possible AVOID the use of plastics and call for alternatives
- Be loving and kind to all living creatures and give all glory to God
Volunteer Opportunities
L’Honey is looking for volunteers interested in sustainability and bees:
- Visits to our bee yard to learn about the bees and help assist in their care
- Hive maintenance
- Candle, soap and hand balm making
- Host an educational opportunity and schools and other civic institutions
- Promote product sales
- Help with educational presentations
Educational Partnerships
The L’Honey Beekeeper works with educators and student groups in the promotion of sustainable beekeeping and caring for our environment.
For more information on the L’Honey Program
Please contact Rick Samyn at 253-229-4114 or larchelhoneybeekeeping@gmail.com